Our First Road Trip

Mommy wants a side-by-side stroller in addition to the front-back stroller we borrowed. Dad wants a side-by-side stroller that converts from stroller to jogging stroller to bike trailer. Dad convinced mommy that the family should go to REI to check it out.

The family loaded into the Highlander and headed down to Northridge. Northridge takes about 45 minutes to get to on a normal day. The babies were changed and fed before so that the trip could be completed before their next meal.

Dad drove slower and more carefully than ever. Mom told dad that a recent study found that people who text while driving lose 91% of their ability to control a vehicle. Driving with the handset is illegal in California, but texting is still acceptable. Mom and Dad concluded that everyone was texting on the way to REI. It was not rush hour yet, but the traffic was dense. The 23 Freeway has 4 lanes, densly packed, all driving 70-80 miles per hour. The only thing that slows California traffic is moisture. A light rain has the same effect as 1" flakes falling on 3" of slush and snow in other state. The roads were clear today.

A Toyota Camry cut across three lanes to make the exit about 4 cars in front of us. He must have been texting his girlfriend. A large man in a white conversion van tailgated the car in front of him. He started to change lanes into the Highlander in the second lane. Luckily he swerved back into the first lane. He must have been texting his boss.

Dad could see a small pick-up hauling 2 mattresses tied in with a single rope across the back. The pick-up was in the 3rd lane. The mattress was fluttering in the wind at 70 mph when it lifted up, teetered, and flipped over the rope. Luckily it stayed in the 3rd lane. Daddy was tempted to see the impact, but kept his eyes on the road. Daddy started to write the blog "The Brown families first close c..." when the second mattress flipped loose and into the second lane. It was about 4 car-lengths ahead when it bounces from the lower right corner back toward lane 3. Mommy screamed, Age slept, and Bree slept. Dad started to move into the 1st lane when the mattress bounced on the lower left corner back into the second lane toward the first lane. Mommy screamed louder and higher pitch as her babies lives flashed before her eyes. Age and Bree slept, and dad turned back straight down the second lane directly toward the mattress . The mattress was centered directly in front and was starting to fold lengthwise when the Highlander hit it at 70 mph, then it disappeared with the sound of a huge sock sucked up a giant industrial vacuum cleaner. The un-phased Highlander with Brown family continued up the hill at 70 mpg. Mom was histerical and Dad turned from survival mode to husband comforting mode. Dad looked left as the fat man that was texting his boss earlier gave the thumbs up.

The family plugged on anyway and somewhat successfully completed the trip. Mom was back to normal when we arrived at REI, just in time to reject the stroller/trailer for general use. Dad has to take a few weeks to justify the stroller for his own personal use.